Aizou Dabiji (Cherished Journey)
by dancing bohemian
Summary: They say she was devoured by the god Genbu because she was weak. They were wrong. This is what really happened. (Series.) Please R&R. Thanks!
1. Return

Whispers.  
  
Blink blink.  
  
"I think she's coming around."  
  
More whispers. Like praying.  
  
The voice... So familiar...  
  
Blink blink blink.  
  
"Okuda-san! She's waking up."  
  
My mind began to function, gradually assimilating information and formulating responses, though my mouth did not yet feel like cooperating.  
  
"Good. She has been asleep too long."  
  
Sleep? No, this, I knew, had been no ordinary sleep.  
  
I opened my eyes, then immediately snapped them shut. "Lights," I mumbled, slowly lifting a hand, palm facing up, to shield my eyes. My movements were sluggish, as if I were moving through water.  
  
I heard a rustling, and suddenly the insides of my eyelids seemed even darker.  
  
"Takiko? Takiko, look at me."  
  
More cautiously this time, my eyes fluttered open. My body lay completely still as I scanned the room. Someone had closed the windows, and a solitary candle flickered on the table by the far wall. The world was sideways, as it often was nowadays, and I was quite content to let it stay that way.  
  
"Takiko!"  
  
My father, it seemed, was not.  
  
"Takiko-chan, sit up." His tone was softer than his words. He sat on the edge of my bed, brushed a strand of hair from my face, and then looked over his shoulder at the servant. "You may go. Please tell Akagawa-san that I will not be joining him at the station today."  
  
As she walked to the door, I forced myself up, with much effort, to a sitting position. "Dou-san, iie!" (Daddy, no!) "You can't cancel the trip, you've been planning it for so long." After my statement, the serving girl paused, looking questioningly at my father. He nodded, implying that she should continue with his original instructions, and she bowed and closed the door behind her. "Dou-san!"  
  
He held a finger vertically across his own lips, indicating that I should not speak. "Takiko-chan, it is not your decision. It is mine, and one that I make with several things in mind. The main one, of course, is your health--"  
  
"Dou-san, daijobu." (Daddy, I'm fine.) I tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm always having spells like this. You know that. It's no reason to cancel."  
  
He shook his head and picked up right where he left off. "Your health, which has deteriorated even further in the past few weeks." His sigh seemed so melancholy. Almost tortured. "You have been sick ever since I came back from my last trip, and that was weeks ago. You are not getting any better, and that is my responsibility. One that I have not been doing. It is my fault, and my duty to remedy it."  
  
I opened my mouth to speak again, then stopped. I knew that arguing with my father was pointless; he was the one person who could be more stubborn than myself. Especially when he started using words such as 'responsibility' and 'fault' and 'duty.'  
  
"Fine--" A fit of coughing seized me, cutting off my reluctant concession. My father tenderly dabbed my forehead with a cool, damp cloth, and it stung my sweaty skin. I whimpered and held back a sob as fire and ice battled on the surface of my forehead and through the whole of my brain.  
  
I felt his breath by my ear before I heard him.  
  
"Nero, watashi no Takiko-chan." (Sleep, my dear Takiko.)  
  
  
  
  
  
I was floating in a world of velvety midnight and dazzling stars.  
  
I didn't know how long I'd been there, or if I was even moving, since everything around me looked the same, but for some reason I felt completely safe. Like I'd been there before. Like I belonged there.  
  
A wave of soft green light seemed to wash over me, and I saw a figure flying closer. I couldn't make it out. Then it hesitated and backed away out of sight again.  
  
I was about to call out to it when a deep, quiet voice spoke first.  
  
"Help me."  
  
  
  
  
  
When I woke again, it was from a deep, peaceful slumber, and I felt decently rested and much less ill. I sat up on my own and pushed the covers off my legs. My first step was shaky, but I pressed on, and my knees soon gained strength. When I finally made it to the doorway, I leaned against the wooden frame and took a few seconds to catch my breath. My heart, I knew, was beating much too fast for such a short journey, but it always took a few minutes for my body to adjust after these spells.  
  
In the bathroom I washed my face and brushed my teeth. There was an awful taste, like that of blood and pain, though I wasn't sure where it had come from. I thought it must have had something to do with the dream...  
  
The dream!  
  
It came rushing back to me then, the stars, the dark, the voice. The plea. 'Help me.'  
  
"You're losing it, Takiko, you really are," I said to my reflection. The girl in the mirror, however, didn't seem to think it was very funny. Her dark brown eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, and she looked much older than her sixteen years. It seemed doubtful that she'd even brushed her hair in the past month. "Oh boy, you are quite a mess, aren't you dear?"  
  
I picked up a small comb and began to straighten the long mess of tangles that had once been a shiny black stream behind me. Methodical. Calming. Section by section, I restored the strands to the best of my ability and decided I'd have to finish the job with a good, long bath. Later.  
  
"Dou-san?" My voice sounded weak and tentative even to my own ears. "Dou-san, where are you?"  
  
No reply.  
  
Perhaps he was sleeping. I was careful to take soft steps as I searched the house for him, so that if he were napping he could continue. He worked too hard and deserved to rest whenever possible.  
  
As I suspected, I found him, face-down, at his desk, snoring lightly. I suppressed a chuckle but couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face. He looked so sweet and innocent. Next to him was a book -- the book -- he'd been researching for the past few months. Now that it was finally in his possession, he would devote his time to translating it, would have been much further had he not been dealing with physician for me. This book had been his obsession for the past year, the first project he had told me almost nothing about. The first he had coveted so exceedingly. I wondered just what kind of spell it had him under.  
  
Hehe, listen to yourself, Takiko. It's just a book. No magic there. He's always been devoted to his studies.  
  
But then why, I asked myself, did even I feel drawn by it?  
  
Several times in the past weeks I had awoken to find myself in the hallway, on the verge of entering my father's office. Each time I would have sworn that the book was glowing, but when I blinked and looked again, it was just sitting there like any other book. A trick of the eyes? Of the mind? I told myself that it must be, that I was seeing things because I was so ill.  
  
I frowned, frozen by my father's chair, recalling this mysterious disease that plagued me. No doctor had been able to tell us what exactly was wrong. Seemingly without cause, I was growing weaker and weaker, and dozing off randomly. I had no other symptoms: no cough, no pain, no mental or emotional instability. Except that I could never remember what I was doing just before I fell asleep, or as my doctor called it, "had a spell." No one understood it.  
  
Did the book have the answers?  
  
I wanted to laugh. Really, an ancient Chinese novel, knowing why a girl in 1923 was inexplicably sick? Ridiculous. I wanted to laugh.  
  
But I couldn't.  
  
Instead, I reached out for the book. When I touched it, I thought I saw a spark, but it must have been my imagination. It was already open to the first page, which my father had apparently been working on. I slipped the book gently out from under his elbow. He stirred briefly, mumbled something about 'preventing the cycle from beginning,' and then fell back asleep. I carefully folded his glasses, which had fallen off his face to lie haphazardly on the edge of the table, and placed them beside him.  
  
I sat down on the floor pillow against the wall and decided to start at the beginning. Since I was a little girl, my father had passed on to me his love of archaeology and ancient languages, so I could read some of the words on my own. I recognized this particular book as being written in ancient Chinese. "Shi jin... ten... chi sho," I whispered slowly. Something of the Four Gods... The sky... the world... The Universe of the Four Gods!  
  
Hmmm, interesting, I thought.  
  
But the cover alone had taken me a couple minutes, and I certainly did not want to sit there all day trying to puzzle out the first line. I placed my father's first sheet of translations over the illustration on the left-hand side -- a fairly nondescript brush outline of a girl, really it could have been any girl, reading a book -- so that I could read the original text first and then refer immediately to the translation.  
  
'This book tells the story of a girl who gathered the shichiseishi of Genbu and acquired the power to make her every wish come true. The story itself is an incantation. Whoever finishes reading it will receive the power. As soon as the page is turned, the story will become reality and begin...'  
  
Then, like a whisper without sound, I felt a presence call to me, and suddenly I was swept off the ground by a cyclone of green lights. I looked around in confusion as the room around me faded to black and I began falling wildly through space. It took me awhile, as it usually did, to realize that I was dreaming again.  
  
This time, though, I wasn't floating in space. A rich and magnificent building came into view, closer and closer, until I realized that I was falling towards it. Face first.  
  
I landed with an audible thud and couldn't help groaning as I tried to rise to my feet. I wasn't physically hurt though, and in fact, other than getting the wind knocked out of me, I couldn't remember feeling better. It was, so far, the best thing about the dream.  
  
I sighed, wondering where exactly I was this time. Just as I was about to turn over my right shoulder to orient myself, a voice came from my left. In trying to change directions last minute, I ended up tripping over myself and falling right back to the floor.  
  
The tall, thin man chuckled softly. "Hello again." He approached me, helped me up, and bowed respectfully. "Welcome, Genbu no miko. We have been awaiting your return." 


	2. Acceptance

Disclaimer: If I must... *sigh* Okay, I don't own these guys. (Don't I wish?) I took them from Yuu Watase, or what little of them she created, and then developed them on my own. See below for more.  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, hi! Hehe, well, I didn't want anything to interrupt the first part of the story, so I decided to hold off on saying my peace until the second chapter (which I went ahead and posted with the first so it could follow right away). Basically, as you can see, this is the first miko's story. I don't know when exactly, but sometime during my love affair with Fushigi Yugi, I decided I HAD to write something for it, and I thought doing either Genbu's or Byakko's story would be awesome. Well, as it turns out, I found a Byakko story (Kaze-chan's "It WAS a Normal Day in the Market...") before I could write my own, and I fell in love with it, and I couldn't bear to write anything that would contradict/compete with it. So I decided not to let myself read any of the Genbu stories (in case I felt the same way about any of those) and just started writing my own. I only hope I can do this legend half as much justice as Kaze-chan did for Byakko.  
  
This story is all from Takiko's point of view, because I wanted to show some things about her that couldn't be shown any other way. Plus, she is the key to the legend, the whole reason anything and everything happens, and I wanted the story to reflect her central position. (And heck, I'm a 16-year-old girl, so theoretically I should be able to get inside her head relatively easily.) Ultimately, her character intrigued me the most.  
  
Oh, and I know the last chapter wasn't really funny (though I tried to get in a few subtle lines), but I promise I'll add more of that wacky, anime humor that we all know and love. Basically I'm trying to get everything ready for the story and make sure that no one will be behind. I'm trying to make it so that even non-FY people could read it, or FY people who know diddly about Genbu (which was me until I started researching). And just so ya know, my thoughts at the beginning of writing this chapter were, "Man, I JUST finished one, why should I have to start a NEW one and finish it too? Well, because nothing really happened in the first one, but bleh, who asked me anyway?"(Yeah, I'm probably less funny than I think.) Anyway, it's a bit more exposition. Sorry, but it was necessary.  
  
Hehe, running spell-check on this is funny. And I just have to say that the radio stations are playing "Blurry" by Puddle of Mud way too much. I mean, it's a great song and all, but they're going to kill it. Same goes for "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch, but I can't get sick of that song, so it's okay.  
  
Okay, so I've rambled enough. Let's get on with it, shall we? ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Domo arigatou," I said, taking his hand and rising. (Thank you very much.) "Gomen ne." (I'm sorry.)  
  
"No need to be sorry. Or to bow to me, miko-sama."  
  
Miko-sama? (Honorable priestess?) Me? My mind started racing as I recalled his words.  
  
"You said you've been awaiting my return?"  
  
He smiled, genuinely pleased, and gave a short, polite nod.  
  
"Meaning I've been here before?"  
  
Nod.  
  
"Me?"  
  
Nod.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
His head went down again, only this time it didn't come back up, but hung there. In exasperation.  
  
"Genbu no miko, I am very sure that--"  
  
"Wait, what did you call me?"  
  
"Genbu no miko." (Priestess of Genbu.)  
  
I gave a short, rueful chuckle. "Hehe, no no no, sir, you've got it all wrong. Mistaken identity, you know? I've never heard of this Genbu no miko person, but she's not me. And believe me, if I'd been here, I would remember a place like this."  
  
As I spoke, I gestured to the buildings around us. My little flight had landed me not-so-gently on the stone balcony of a beautiful temple-like structure. This was only one of many, all intimidatingly large, and all having green roofs and walls the color of eggshells. I counted six main buildings, with, if I'd had to guess, maybe twenty or thirty smaller ones arranged carefully in-between. The whole compound was enclosed by a tall stone wall. Above me I could see the slope of a mountain, which continued down over the edge of the wall, but because the buildings were all on the same plane, I assumed a flat level had been carved into the mountainside especially for them.  
  
He said nothing, but raised an eyebrow. "Miss, would you please come with me?"  
  
I eyed him warily, but finally nodded my agreement. After all, with my health restored, I could definitely handle this guy. He must have been close to sixty years of age, and he was fairly wiry at that.  
  
Then he clapped twice, and from out of nowhere three rows of soldiers with helmets and spears poured out and surrounded us, creating a sort of 'U' formation around our two figures.  
  
Uh oh.  
  
The old man I could handle, but these guys were a whole different ball game.  
  
"Um, sumimasen," I began nervously as we started walking. (Pardon me.)  
  
He chuckled and, as if reading my mind, said, "Relax, no one is going to hurt you. I am Ling, a court advisor. I am simply going to show you something. It will hopefully provoke your memory, or at least convince you that what I say is true."  
  
As we walked through the seemingly endless corridors, all of which looked nearly identical, I considered my surroundings. Certainly nothing like anything I'd ever seen before. At least, not in real life. Only in pictures. In a book. My history textbook.  
  
Ancient China!  
  
As soon as I realized it, I knew I was right, I just didn't know how. How was this possible? How could I have traveled across a sea -- not to mention gone back in time hundreds of years -- in the blink of an eye?  
  
Certainly this was a dream. I'd had my doubts since I'd arrived, because I had been able to feel pain and I was remarkably aware. But no, this was definitely a dream. And if it was a dream, then it couldn't hurt to go along with it. I'd wake up soon enough.  
  
We rounded yet another corner -- what felt like the seven millionth of our journey -- and I wondered just how long it would be before we reached our destination. But I didn't get the chance to ask.  
  
CRASH!  
  
The ground was suddenly much, much closer to my face, and I think my legs had somehow flipped over my head. "Ugh," I grunted. There was a bustle of clanking and shuffling behind me, which I assumed to be the guards scrambling to figure out the mysterious and unanticipated threat. My companion, however, seemed to know exactly what was going on.  
  
"Ah, well, this is unexpected. Miko-sama, allow me to introduce to you the emperor's son, Kitahana Fukuki." I could tell he was trying not to laugh, and I would have glared, but unfortunately my face was still recovering from its impromptu meeting with the floor. "Please excuse his crude arrival. I assure you, he is usually much more graceful."  
  
I saw a man in front of me pushing himself up from the ground, but in the flurry of motion I couldn't register anything about him.  
  
"Enough of your jokes, Ling. I'm sure she gets the point." The voice was not too deep, but still clearly that of a man. A man obviously amused.  
  
Since my arrival, I had completely forgotten about my glasses, but now I noticed that everything had become quite a bit blurrier. My hands roamed the floor until I found them and replaced them on my nose. The world came back into focus.  
  
As I struggled to untangle myself from the human pretzel I had somehow become, I heard whispers above me, but I could only make out the words "does not remember" from Ling, and "Mount Taikyoku" from the new voice.  
  
Well, whoever this mystery voice belonged to, I was still at eye-level with his ankles when he bent over to brush off his clothes. When I finally regained my wits, I sat up and inclined my head to see just who had knocked me down.  
  
  
  
  
  
Wow.  
  
That was the first complete thought that entered my head.  
  
Even as he held out a hand to help me up, I looked him over from head to toe, then whipped my eyes back up to his head again.  
  
He had a pleasant face, long and oval, with soft lines instead of sharp, harsh bones. His hair was black as coal and hovered just above his shoulders, which I could tell, even through his luxurious robes, were broad and strong. He was tall, probably 180 cm (5'11"), which was tall even for my time. He carried himself like a man, but must have been about my age, perhaps a little older, judging by his cute, boyish grin.  
  
But it was his eyes that caught my attention most. Unlike most Asians, myself included, his eyes were not black, nor even dark brown, but a strangely beautiful light brown. Like cinnamon. And it was the humor dancing in those lovely eyes that reminded me of reality.  
  
I accepted his hand and was nearly picked up off the ground entirely by the force of his pull. I bowed my head politely, and then looked for Ling.  
  
Fukuki noticed my turning in circles and said, "He asked for me to escort you the rest of the way. He had a meeting to attend with my father."  
  
"Ah." I must have been concentrating pretty hard on Fukuki's looks if I'd missed an entire conversation. But his looks were quite appealing, so that didn't surprise me too much. The guards were gone too, which I appreciated, because dream or no dream, they still made me nervous.  
  
Speaking of nervous, it hit me that I was alone with Mr. Gorgeous, Important and Amused, and I began fumbling around in my brain for something to say. Wanting to focus on something other than his physical appearance, I considered his name. After all, I needed something to break the ice, and for some reason "Wow, you're good-looking" didn't strike me as the best way to start off.  
  
Kitahana. Northern flower.  
  
Fukuki. Tree of good fortune.  
  
At least, that's what the names meant in Japanese.  
  
"Why are the names here..." I didn't know how to explain that his name sounded Japanese -- how could it sound like it came from a country that was not yet in existence? "Why is your family's name different?"  
  
"You mean different from the people in the south?"  
  
I paused, then nodded. That was, I figured, as good of a distinction as any.  
  
Fukuki grinned. "You're very observant, miko-sama." Before I could protest his use of that title, he continued, "Well, Hokkan is the northern-most of the four provinces of China. As such, we have encountered some nomads and other peoples closer to our northern borders, and I suppose the differences simply reflect the filtration of the outside influences into our lands. But because Hokkan is also the largest of the four kingdoms, those influences do not reach to all our borders."  
  
"Ah." Okay, I thought, that makes sense. Now what? I looked at him, hoping to think of another way to start conversation, but only one thing came to mind. "Wow, you're good-looking."  
  
To my surprise, he blushed a little. "Well huh," was all he could manage.  
  
I chuckled. It was always easier to be confident when the other person was not. "What's the matter? Does it bother you that I think you're attractive?"  
  
"No, of course not. It's just that... Well, girls from this world are... You're so..." He gave up. "You're very pretty as well."  
  
Now I blushed, but from the heat I could feel in my face, I guessed that my blush was quite a bit more intense than his had been. How had he managed to turn this around on me?  
  
He cleared his throat, saving me from having to think of a response. "We're here."  
  
I hadn't even realized we'd been walking! Man, I was really screwed. I couldn't even keep track of what was going on around me. How did I expect to survive in this strange world if I didn't notice when people left or even when I was moving?  
  
One look told me that we had indeed changed locations. Gone was the maze of hallways I'd formerly found myself rather lost in. Instead, we were on a bridge between two of the smaller green-roofed buildings. The marble handrails on either side of us were at a strategic height: tall enough to keep a person from falling the long distance to the ground below, but short enough to afford a good view of the compound and its beautiful landscaping. And there in front of us were two extravagantly tall and ornate doors. Carved across their breadth was a depiction of a turtle and a snake mated into one being -- sort of an ugly concept, but somehow the scene was a beautiful, reverent one.  
  
"This is the temple of Genbu," he announced. I could hear the pride in his voice and so refrained from making any cracks about the weird animal thing. "Only the followers of Genbu may enter. His energy repulses all others."  
  
Fukuki pushed open the door, which groaned softly on its hinges but swung carefully and calmly. "We of the northern kingdom Hokkan pledge our allegiance to Genbu," he said quietly, and I couldn't tell if he was telling me or stating it for the benefit of whatever spirits inhabited the temple.  
  
"Do you mean to say that this Genbu is a god?"  
  
He nodded and motioned for me to follow him inside; I was still standing in the doorway. He apparently had no concerns about Genbu repelling me. "Genbu is one of four gods. Each guards a particular kingdom: Byakko protects the western kingdom of Sailo, Suzaku the southern kingdom of Konan, and Seiryu the eastern kingdom of Kutou."  
  
The universe of the four gods, I thought to myself as I crossed the threshold, and immediately decided to commit that information, as well as any that was about to follow, to memory.  
  
But he made no indication of speaking again. It was as if this place was so spiritual it had struck him mute. I could tell by the expression on his face that he was awestruck, but pleasantly so, suggesting that he'd come here before, perhaps often, and was accustomed to the feeling.  
  
After nearly a minute of silence, I decided it was up to me to learn what I needed to know. "Ling said I've been here before."  
  
Fukuki grinned. "So you do remember?"  
  
"No, no, I didn't mean that." I felt an inexplicable pang of guilt when his face fell. "I was just wondering what you knew about my previous visit."  
  
He sighed, sadly, briefly, before recomposing. He wasn't quite smiling, but he was trying. "Visits, actually."  
  
"I've been here more than once?"  
  
"Yes. A total of three times, four if you count now. The second time, though, you weren't here for more than a few seconds. You flashed in, quite literally, then flashed out again."  
  
I thought of the green lights that had accompanied me to this dream. But was it really a dream...?  
  
"The first time was nearly two months ago. You came directly into the palace and stayed with us for nearly a week. We explained everything to you, you became Genbu no miko. Willingly," he added quickly. "And you began your duties. Then you left abruptly." I noticed something come across his face, into his eyes, but he cleared his throat and when I looked again it was gone. "Several days later, it was reported that you landed in a cart in the marketplace, looked around you for a moment, then disappeared."  
  
Two months ago? Father had still been on his trip, and I would have been in school.  
  
"Then, three weeks ago, you arrived in the palace again. This time in the gardens and not..." He winced and trailed off, berating himself for the slip-up.  
  
But I picked up on it. "What?" I asked, concerned. "Where did I land the first time?"  
  
He smiled weakly. "My room."  
  
"Oh." I instantly decided I didn't want to know too many details about that. At least, not yet. "So the third time?" I prompted.  
  
"The third time," he caught on, "you were in the gardens. Scared the heck out of some guards. But they noticed your irregular clothing, and those things on your face--"  
  
"My glasses?"  
  
"Glasses?" He studied them for a moment. "Yes, your glasses. You didn't have them the first time." He furrowed his brow. "Tell me, what are glasses? Why do you wear them?"  
  
"They help me see."  
  
He angled his head, and I could tell I had perked his interest. "So you can see better? May I try?"  
  
As I took them off and handed them to him, I tried to explain, "It's not that I can see better. Well, yes, better, but not better than most people. I need them because my vision was already--" I broke off and began to laugh uncontrollably.  
  
He was squinting through the lenses, his hands uncertainly exploring the air in front of him, as if he expected to touch something. Plus the frames were too small for his head and I could see them squeezing his temples.  
  
I removed them carefully from his face and put them back on my own. "You, clearly, don't need them. But without them, things are blurry to me."  
  
"Oh, you mean you have weak vision? Like old people?"  
  
I ignored the negative connotation. "Yes, I have weak vision without them. Where I come from, it's becoming rather common. And it has nothing to do with age," I added. "But with my glasses, I can see as well as you or anyone else."  
  
"Hmm, very interesting."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"The third time?" I reminded him yet again.  
  
"Ah yes!" He chuckled, realizing he had lost his train of thought. "Well, the guards realized you were back, and took a very frightened you to see my father. He proclaimed you to be Genbu no miko, for the second time, and then you vanished. Again."  
  
"I see."  
  
"And we've been waiting for you to return ever since."  
  
"Why?"  
  
He glanced at me. "You don't know the story?"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"No, of course not. You don't remember any of it." He sighed. "Come with me."  
  
He led the way through a maze of riches -- literally, piles of gold coins, as well as gems and jewelry and magnificent baubles -- to the opposite end of the room. There, obscured by the dark, with only a single stripe of light coming from the doorway, was a table made entirely of jade. On its surface, a black scroll rested on a plush pillow of soft, dark green fabric. As I got closer, it seemed to sparkle with a green light. A silly thought flew into my mind: it was meant for me. Without bidding, my hand left my side and began a shaky journey to reach for it, but Fukuki spoke, awakening me from my quasi-trance and causing my hand to fall limply back to my thigh.  
  
"This scroll was given to my family, the rulers of Hokkan, by Taiitsu-kun, a wise old prophet who lives deep in the heart of China." He was staring at it intently, awe shining in his eyes. "I wasn't alive, for it was many years ago when she came, but she told my ancestors the legend of the scroll." He looked at me now. "Your legend."  
  
Though I was warm, I shivered, and I knew it had nothing to do with the temperature.  
  
"The scroll is called the Universe of the Four Gods. It says that one day, when Hokkan is in great danger, a girl from another world will come. She will be Genbu no miko, gather the shichiseishi, and save our kingdom."  
  
Too many questions ran through my head, and I struggled to pick one before I forgot them all. "The shichiseishi?" (The seven celestial warriors?)  
  
"Yes. They are born to serve and protect the miko, and to aid her in saving their kingdom."  
  
I was understanding more and more. They said I was the miko. They wanted me to find Genbu's seishi.  
  
"What makes a person a seishi? I mean, how do they know who they are?"  
  
"We're not sure." He snorted. "Okay, we don't know. We have absolutely no idea. You're the first miko, so this is all very new."  
  
His voice shimmered with pride when he repeated, "You're the first miko."  
  
  
  
  
  
A few hours later, I was assigned a room in the main building -- apparently the same one I had been given the first time I had come -- one close enough to Fukuki's that I wouldn't get lost if I needed to ask him for anything. It seemed that he had been appointed -- or had he chosen? -- to act as my personal guide. I certainly didn't mind, because I felt absolutely overwhelmed and alone. I was given the rest of the afternoon to settle in and unwind, but a meeting with the emperor was scheduled for that evening.  
  
The emperor, Fukuki's father, was a kind man, but all business in regards to my duties. I could understand that. After all, if the miko only came when the kingdom was in great danger, then the emperor obviously had his hands full. He refused to tell me the exact details of the threat to Hokkan, and I wondered if even he really understood all of it himself, but basically the eastern kingdom of Kutou was mobilizing forces all along it's northeastern border. And he was pretty darn sure they weren't doing it to celebrate the new year.  
  
"So will you be our miko?" he asked me bluntly.  
  
'Our miko.' Funny, I thought, that he would ask me again. Considerate as well. But twice before I'd answered yes. Even if I didn't remember it. Why should now be any different?  
  
Yes, I would be their miko.  
  
He thanked me profusely, made sure that I understood my duties and my privileges as miko, then dismissed me. And as the door closed behind me, leaving me alone in the corridor, I wondered what exactly I had just gotten myself into. 


	3. Foreshadowing

Disclaimer: The people in it (with a few exceptions) aren't mine -- they were created by Yuu Watase and are probably copyrighted by her and some corporations I don't know the names of. However, the story line is pretty much of my creation, so, um, go me?  
  
Author's Notes: This used to be part of the last chapter, but I realized the last one was getting a little too long, so I chopped off the end and made it its own dealie. I admit that I kind of rushed to finish this, so I may come back and make minor changes later. Also, I got a little goofier with some of it, so yeah, just a warning. And as always: I love feedback!  
  
  
  
  
  
"Takiko!"  
  
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Takiko?"  
  
Pause.  
  
"Takiko?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Would you like to come down now?"  
  
I looked down at Fukuki's amused grin, then back up to where I was clinging desperately to the ceiling lantern. "Eh, hehehe," I chuckled nervously. "You startled me, and I must have jumped."  
  
"I'll say." He stepped right beneath me, held out his arms. "Jump down. I'll catch you."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Takiko-chan, trust m--"  
  
THUD.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Fukuki-sama?"  
  
He groaned, mumbled something, but I couldn't make it out.  
  
"Are you alright? Fukuki-sama?"  
  
"Don't..."  
  
"Don't what?"  
  
He struggled to move, gave up. "Don't sit on me."  
  
Oops.  
  
I scrambled up, reached down to lend him a hand.  
  
"Thanks," he said, standing carefully. He didn't release my hand. "And what I was going to say is don't use sama with me."  
  
I smiled. "Sorry, Fukuki-san--"  
  
"Or san. Just Fukuki, or Fukuki-chan, will do."  
  
There was an awkward silence. Or at least, it felt awkward to me. He, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice, and was just looking at me. Feeling stupid and nervous, I pulled my hand back. "Sorry about that. I hope you're not hurt."  
  
"Nope, I'm fine. All in one piece." He patted himself as if to prove there were no holes in his body. His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "You really don't weigh much." Then it was back to its normal volume. "Anyway, before you flew into the air like an edgy bird, and fell to the ground like a stone, I came to see if you were hungry."  
  
"Hungry?" I echoed dumbly. For some reason my brain seemed dull and light.  
  
"Yes," he laughed. "Hungry. As in food. Have you eaten dinner?"  
  
"Dinner?" I repeated.  
  
Ugh, come on, Takiko, I thought to myself. Wake up!  
  
"Hey wait a minute," I protested as he led the way, presumably to a meal. "Edgy bird? You snuck up behind me and called out my name. Anyone would have been startled."  
  
Walking backwards so he could face me, he just chuckled and shook his head.  
  
"Oh yeah?" It was a challenge, but the tone of my voice was clearly playful. "If--"  
  
Before I could finish, something popped out of thin air, floating in the space between us.  
  
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Fukuki-chan?" I asked sweetly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Would you like to come down now?"  
  
  
  
  
  
"What was that you were saying?" I asked innocently as Fukuki dropped nimbly to the floor beside me.  
  
"Oh be quiet," he growled jovially.  
  
We grinned at each other, then both turned to look at the new arrival.  
  
"Gah!" we exclaimed in unison.  
  
Fukuki whispered to me, "It's so..."  
  
We both knew the word 'ugly' would have been most appropriate, but neither of us were hard-hearted -- or brave -- enough to say it.  
  
Then 'it' spoke.  
  
"I am Taiitsu-kun, the overseer of this world. Welcome, Takiko, Genbu no miko."  
  
Oh god, not more, not tonight.  
  
I really wanted to faint. However, had I done so, I would then have wanted to crawl under a rock and die of shame and embarrassment at my weakness. Instead, I chanted under my breath, "It's only a dream it's only a dream it's only a dream it's only a dream." I took another look at Taiitsu-kun. "It's only a nightmare it's only a nightmare it's only a nightmare..."  
  
Fukuki bent down to whisper in my ear. "Are you alright?"  
  
I perked up instantly. "Eh, hehe, yes yes yes, I'm fine, just fine, perfectly fine."  
  
His eyebrow lifted.  
  
"Really, Fukuki-sama, I'm--"  
  
"I told you," he said, taking my chin in his fingers and lifting it up to look at him. "Don't use sama with me."  
  
The strength of his gaze was so intent that I had to blush and look away. "Really, Fukuki-sa... Fukuki, I'm fine."  
  
The old woman coughed -- loudly -- and the two of us jumped apart instantly, me playing with my hair and Fukuki innocently scratching the back of his neck.  
  
The old woman laughed. "Good, now that I've got your attention--"  
  
"How did you get in here?" Fukuki asked. I wouldn't say that he was purposely trying to be insubordinate, but he certainly wasn't paying attention to what Taiitsu-kun wanted.  
  
"I am all-powerful."  
  
"You? But you're so old!"  
  
WHOMP.  
  
When I stopped laughing and looked over, I could see Fukuki flat on his face, his butt kind of sticking up in the air, stars flying in dizzy rings around his head. Taiitsu-kun was holding a wide wooden board.  
  
"You must learn respect for your elders," she said with a triumphant gleam in her eyes. "Especially one as old as I."  
  
He rubbed the bump on the back of his head and nodded vaguely.  
  
"Now then," the old woman began. "Genbu no miko--" I was about to protest when she cut herself off and nodded, made a short humming sound in her throat. "Yes, I can call you Takiko if you prefer."  
  
I could not have said who was more surprised, Fukuki or myself, but both of our jaws were on the floor.  
  
"I am all-knowing as well," she said in explanation. "Get used to it." She cleared her throat -- kind of an ugly, hacking noise that had both of us wincing. "Now then, Takiko, you and I need to speak. There is much for you to learn, to do, and little time for you to accomplish it."  
  
She closed her eyes. A portal appeared beside her, and through it she went. I started to follow, but Fukuki grabbed my arm.  
  
"Are you sure it's safe?" he asked, speaking so only I could hear.  
  
I shrugged. "No." The reply was simple and honest. "No, but I don't know anything, and if she can give me answers, it's worth a shot."  
  
He nodded. I felt a quick squeeze just above my elbow, and then nothing. Without looking back, I turned to follow Taiitsu-kun through the portal.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
"Mt. Taikyoku, my home," she answered with no small degree of pride. And indeed, she had much to be proud about.  
  
The grounds were magnificent, with sparkling white towers topped by dewdrop-shaped bulbs. The scale of the place was simply breathtaking, and I was certain the minarets were as high as any office building in Tokyo. The air wasn't as cold as that in Tolan -- probably because this region lacked the northern snows that graced Hokkan's capitol city -- but I estimated the altitude to be nearly the same. Clouds were so close overhead that I reached out and touched one, marveled as my hand passed through the cold fluffy whiteness.  
  
Taiitsu-kun led me through hallways as grand as any in the palace of Hokkan, until we reached what was obviously the main chamber. A spectacularly large mirror stood on one side of the room, a throne of sorts in the middle, and a red carpet ran down the middle. Some cute little girls were huddled in one corner, and she shooed them out, ignoring their odd, high-pitched cries of "Nyan nyan!"  
  
Then she turned around and sat on her throne.  
  
And just watched me.  
  
It was unnerving, really, to be monitored by those old eyes that saw more than most people did. Saw beneath the surface, beyond the façade, underneath the veneer. I wondered what she saw in me. I had a feeling that before we were through, she'd let me know.  
  
She began. "Takiko, why are you here?"  
  
I stood there stupidly, not knowing how to answer.  
  
She smiled, not unkindly, and said, "Fine, you do not know. That is fair. I could hardly expect you to, so early on." She pursed her lips. "Perhaps then, I can help you figure it out. You may ask me any questions you like."  
  
"How is my father?" I inquired without hesitation.  
  
If she was surprised by my alacrity, she didn't show it. "He is still sleeping, as when you left him."  
  
I didn't occur to me to ask how she knew any of that. "Still sleeping? But it's been two days!"  
  
Before I could begin to consider the health implications of being immobile and unconscious for that long, she spoke to allay my fears. "Time passes differently in the two worlds. The one in which you are now moves more quickly than the one from which you came."  
  
I wondered then how many days -- or weeks? -- would pass for me before my father noticed I was missing. I was all he had -- and he was all I had -- and I could only imagine how he might react to my being gone. Or more specifically, being in a book.  
  
Taiitsu-kun must have seen the worry in my expression, because she floated closer to me and stroked my hair. "You miss him?" I nodded. "Well then, perhaps I can ease the separation a bit. At least on your side." From the folds of her robes she produced a mirror, about the size of my face, with a beautifully decorated frame and handle. "This mirror will allow you to see your father in the other world. But it only goes one way, I'm afraid, so he will not see you."  
  
Before she could even finish the sentence I had enveloped her in a giddy embrace. I would have thanked her, but I was too overwhelmed by emotion to think, much less speak.  
  
She understood anyway. "You're welcome, child." Pause. "Okay, let go of me now."  
  
I pulled back abruptly. "Yes, of course, my apologies." With a slight bow of my head, I accepted the mirror and stared at it in wonder. The 'reflection' was not of my own features but of my father, his head still resting on the desk in our home. Safe and peaceful. Absurdly, I thought I could even hear him snoring.  
  
"Now then, was that your only question, or is there anything else you would like to ask?"  
  
I could tell by the tone of her voice that only one answer would satisfy her, which was fine, because I was nearly bursting with curiosity. Still a little mesmerized by the mirror, I turned my shining eyes up to her. "I suppose I should ask just how I am to locate the seishi."  
  
She nodded, seemingly pleased. "A prudent question. Your copy of the scroll of the Universe of the Four Gods contains the clues. For each seishi there are two words which describe how you will find them. The clues are not meant to lead you straight to them, but to aid you, give you a starting point. If you are clever, however, and just a bit lucky, the seishi will come to you."  
  
"What happens when" -- should I have said if? -- "I gather all the seishi?"  
  
"I will come to you at that time and tell you."  
  
What now? Well, only one thing had really been bugging me since I'd arrived in this strange world. I hadn't noticed it right away, but as soon as I had, I hadn't been able to get it out of my head. If she had the answer, maybe I could finally get some peace of mind.  
  
"Why does everyone here, in China, speak my language?"  
  
The old woman blinked. Her brows creased as she stared intently down at me. I wondered if maybe she hadn't understood and began to repeat my query.  
  
Then suddenly she roared with laughter. "Do you know, Takiko-chan, that you are the only miko who will ever ask me that?"  
  
"Will... ever ask?"  
  
"Did you think you were the only miko? Three more shall follow in your path." She did not give me much time to ponder this; seconds later she erupted into her harsh laughter. "Hah, four mikos, and you are the only one who ever realized that the people of ancient China really shouldn't be speaking Japanese."  
  
Yay for me.  
  
I noticed that she didn't actually answer my question, and I figured there was probably no real explanation. I decided just to drop it and move on. It didn't really matter anyway.  
  
"Taiitsu-kun? Why don't I remember coming here before?"  
  
I could tell she hadn't expected this question, and that she wasn't entirely pleased with answering it. But she did anyway. "The Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho is a strong book, but not as strong as it could be. As it wants to be."  
  
Before I could digest what she was saying -- that a book desired power -- she continued.  
  
"Each time the book drew you in, it grew stronger. It will continue to do so as you endeavor to complete your task. Each of the mikos adds to its power. Once all four gods have been called, and all twelve wishes have been granted, the book's purpose will be complete, and its power whole."  
  
The tone of her voice was ominous and foreboding, and not altogether happy. I got the feeling that there was something she wasn't telling me. Something she didn't want to tell me.  
  
"That is all for now," she said. "But more will be revealed in time."  
  
  
  
  
  
I returned to my room in the palace through the same type of portal as before. I was sort of in a daze, which I figured was partly due to rollercoaster-like nature of my emotions during the past few hours, and partly due to lack of food and sleep. I literally collapsed onto the bed -- and even have the bruise on my elbow to prove it. But I didn't fall immediately to sleep, despite my fatigue. Instead, images and ideas swirled through my head, almost like dreams but not quite.  
  
"Three more shall follow in your path" echoed through my mind. I pictured myself as a pioneer, like the ones in America's west that we read about in history class, a bonnet on my head, a flag in my hand, waving at something behind me. There were three figures inside a wagon, three girls, but I couldn't see their faces. Three plus one makes four. Four gods, four mikos. And I was the first. I would go through it all. Somehow, I knew it would be hard. Extremely difficult and trying, and at times I would wish to die. And occasionally, I would come very close to getting that wish. But in the end, it would all be worth it. I didn't know how I knew, I just did.  
  
Yes, three others were fated to follow my path.  
  
But each of us would go through this alone. 


End file.
